'Glee' Season 3, Episode 16 Recap & Song List - 'Saturday Night Glee-ver'

You know, just last week I was watching the episode with Matt Bomer and I was thinking to myself, "You know what? This would be a lot better if disco was involved."

Just kidding, I wasn't thinking that, and neither was anyone else ever.

Nonetheless, we got a disco-themed episode of "Glee" last night, whether we wanted one or not. It all starts when Sue & Schue (huh... never noticed that before) decide to get the group to do the soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever." Schue worries in particular about the future plans of Mercedes, Santana and Finn, whom he sees as lacking in self-esteem and focus.

That leads to an ultra-productive disco dance-off (shouldn't you people be practicing for Nationals? You don't even know what you'll be singing!), from which Mercedes, Santana and Finn are named finalists. The prize is a custom-made suit like the one that John Travolta wore in "Saturday Night Fever," as sewn by Becky.

Thus, the episode focuses mainly on those three, which makes for some nice clean structure. Mercedes struggles with confidence: she wants to go to LA and be a recording artist, but isn't sure where to start. "The cream always rises to the top," says the sage-like (and cliche-ridden) Mr. Schue. "I'm cream here, Mr. Schue, but what if out there I'm just skim milk?" responds Mercedes. Which, by the way, is a much more realistic and reasonable thing for a high school senior to be thinking than "I'm gonna move out to LA and be a successful singer because cream rises to the top and I'm better than everyone!" Sam fixes all this by putting her disco performance on YouTube, where it gets about 500 comments, all of them positive (on the Internet? Impossible!) and turns her around.

Santana maybe has a little too much confidence: she just wants to be famous, and she ignores everyone's warnings that fame shouldn't be sought. So Brittany releases their sex tape, which gets Brittany some fame, and then suggests some reality shows she could try out for. Point taken. Sue ends up stepping in and showing her that she has a full-ride scholarship to University of Louisville for cheerleading, which seems to make everyone happy enough.

Finn is a bit more trouble. Emma gives him a pile of papers and brochures to see if there's something in there for him, but he doesn't find anything. Mr. Schue, recognizing that Finn is having a serious existential crisis, tells him to watch "Saturday Night Fever. Finn then goes with the best possible choice and decides to go to The Actor's Studio to study acting and be in New York with Rachel. Everyone is making sound decisions for low-risk, stable careers at Will's encouragement. He's like the parent who didn't go into show biz and is thus living through their children.

Stuck in there somewhere is a storyline with "The Glee Project" runner-up Alex Newell, who plays a kid named Wade who wants to dress as a woman for the Vocal Adrenaline performance at Regionals. Kurt and Mercedes can't decide if it's a good idea or not, but Wade does it anyway and everyone loves it, so... problem solved, I guess?

The episode ends with everyone winning a Travolta suit (poor Becky), and with New Directions being no closer to having anything resembling a set list for Nationals.

But at least we got this gem out of Sue: "Let's be honest, William. You've been out of ideas since Madonna Week." Too true, Sue. Too true. As evidenced by the fact that you're now a "good guy."

This week's numbers:

"You Should Be Dancing" - The Bee Gees - Blaine with Brittany and Mike

"Night Fever" - The Bee Gees - New Directions

"Disco Inferno" - The Trammps - Mercedes

"If I Can't Have You" - Yvonne Elliman - Santana

"How Deep Is Your Love" - The Bee Gees - Rachel

"Boogie Shoes" - KC and the Sunshine Band - Wade

"More Than a Woman" - The Bee Gees - Finn & Rachel, Kurt & Blaine, Santana & Brittany, Mike & Tina

"Stayin' Alive" - The Bee Gees - New Directions